Hermetic-sealing apparatus.



W. A. LORENZ.

HERMEHG SEALING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED Rim, 1907.

986, 1 87,, Patented M117, 1911.

By mfg.

Witness 3 W. A. LORENZ. mmum'm' SEALING APPARATUS.

APPLMMTIOI FILED 423.6, 1907.

Patented M11227, 191 1 2 BKBBTB-BKEET 2.

" lq y I nvantm" db. Lorwvz.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM .A'. LORENZ, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH To HIMSELF, ONE-FOURTH T0 WILLIAM H. HONISS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT,

AND ONE-HALF '10 BEECH-NUT PACKING COMPANY, OF CANAJOHARIE, NEW YOBK,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

- HEBMETIC-SEALING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 5, 1907. Serial No. 866,483.

' by theexternal atmospheric pressure due to the inside of the jars.

tion of this invention as thus employed is to 25.

a partial vacuum being formed within the jar. v

This invention is herein shown and described in connection with a vacuum chamber or retort, in which this improved apparatus and the jars to be sealed are hermetically inclosed, with the jar closures resting loosely uponlthe jars. The air is then exhausted from the retort, and thus produces a vacuum around the outsideas well as on The principal funcshut the closures after the desired vacuum is obtained, and to firmly seat them upon their respective jars while still in; vacuo, holding them thus while readmitting atmospheric pressure around the jars, so as to preclude the readmitted air from rel-Entering the jars through the closure joints. It is considered advantageous to employ for this primary seating and holding operation a pressure cor siderably in excess of the pressure which will be subsequently exerted upon the cap by the atmosphere to ultimately maintain the v seal. In this invention the atmospheric pressure is utilized for this initial sealing of the jars, andto augment its effect for this operation, a piston is employed for each jar which has an area considerably greater than the area of the cap or closure. It is desirable in apparatus of this character to place the jars as close together as possible in order to get as many of them as possible into a given area, thus reducin to a minimum the space which must be ex austed in order to seal a given number of jars. In the struct. 1e desired compact ness of arrangement and the augmented pressure are secured by providing each jar with a piston of larger diameter than the jar and placing these .pistons in difierent planes so that they may overlap each other. This arrangement permits the jars to be placed closely together while still employing an augmented atmospheric pressure which may be much greater than the ultimate pressure of the atmosphere upon the 022p.

Figure 1 is a front view 0 a jar sealing chamber with the door removed, showing the parts in position for exhausting. Fig. 2

is a top view of the presser chamber of the apparatus with the upper wall removed. Fig. 3 is a front view of the presser chamber in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, the

arts being shown in position for exhaust ing. Fig. 4 is a front view in section on the line 44 of Fig. 2, and shows the arts in their position at the close of the initial sealing down operation. Fig. 5 is a side View in reduced scale, of a form of exhausting a paratus for exhausting the air from the sea I .ed by it on the posts.17 is the presser chamber 16, (Fig. 3) contained between the upper wall 19 and the lower wall 20. The lower wall is provided with a series of cylindrical chambers 27, the upper ends of which are open to the presser chamber 16. In each of these chambers is a piston 26,

secured to a piston rod 28, which extends downwardly through the'lower wall of the Patented Mar. '7, 1911, 4

presser chamber and is provided at its lower J I end with a presser 31 within the jar chamber 11, A spring 29 yieldingly supports the piston in its uppermost vposition."sA-LsanaII air duct 30 connects" the lower part of the chamber 27 below the piston :Qtiwith the jar chamber 11, thus PiOVldlIlg forthe same air pressure below the piston 26-as that in" the chamber 11. 1'

The wall 20.015 the'presser chamber is also provided with'a series of downwardl mg eyhndrical chambers 37, alternating in sition with the chambersfll. Each chamer 37 contains a piston 3fi'secured to a stem facpermit the .free passage of air and thus provide for the same air pressure on the under side of the piston 36 as that of the jar chamber 11. Each piston 36 is mounted for sliding movement upon a rod 38 secured the upper part ofthe wall 20, and is yieldingly supported in its upper position by a spring I 39. The tension of the springs 29 and 39 is preferably *only suilicicnt' to overcome the weight and the sliding friction of the respective pistons.

The cylindrical chambers 27 and 37 are arranged in diiferent planes, which ermits them to be,-pla'ced alternately in over upping positions, as shown by the circles in Fig. 2. This enables the area of each piston 26 and 36 to be much larger in'diameter than its respective presser 31 aiid 41; while still allowing those pressers to be placed in the same plane and close to each other.

. The jar chamber 11 (Fig. 1) is connected with any suitable air exhausting apparatus, one form of which is shown in through the pipes 46 and 47 controlled by the cook 51, and the presserchamber 16 is connected with the exhaust pipe 46 by the pipes 18 and 49. A cock 52 in'the pipe-4:9

opens and closes communication between the two chambers, and a cock 53 controls communication with the atmosphere.

lnorder'to register the jars J beneath the respective pressers they are preferably placed in a: removable tray 1 11 which :rests upon the base 13, filling pieces 15 of suitable thickness being employed when required, tobring the tops of various-sizes of jars to the proper height relative to the prcssers 31 and 41. p

The operation of the apparatus is as follows :The jars 1 with the caps C loosely placed thereon are loaded into the tray 14 and placed in the sealing chamber 11 with the caps 0 directly beneath their respective pres'ser pistons 31 and 41. The'door in the ar chamber 11 is new hermetically closed, after which the cock 53 is closed, and the cocks 51 and 52 opened, thus connecting both the chambers Hand 16 with the exhaust apparatus as shown in Fig.1. After the desired degree'of vacuum has been ob tained,,the cocks 51 and 52 are closed and the -cock 53 opened, thus readmitting atmospberie pressure in the fpresser chamber 16; .while still excludint'gxit rom the j ar-cha'mber 11'. This causes e atmospheric pressure atmospheric pressure which will finally hold the .cap in place. The valve 52 is then opened, thus admitting the atmospheric pressure pito the jar chamber 11, from which the pressure, entering through the ducts 30 and 'openings 40 counteracts the pressure 'on top of'the pistons which now move upward under the influence of the springs 29 and 39, the a'tmpspheric pressure retaining the caps C in their pushed down position, except for the slight rise which may occur, due to the diminished pressure on the elasticgasket beneath the cap.- The extra pressure thus exerted upon the cap before its final retention in place by the atmospheric pressure is considered advantageous, since it not only more certainly straightens the cap in case it has become misplaced or tilted, but by forcing the gasket hard down upon its sealing seat itcrowds it farther into the space between the cap and the jar and spreads it over a greater area of the sealing seat, thus settling it firmly in the position in which it will finally rest. Foriexample, it has been found in practice that a jar which may have an atmospheric pressure of pounds on its cap after scaling is' more liable-tobe sealed cffectually if the cap is subjected to a temporary pressure of say 150 lbs. before being finally left to the holding down influence of the atmosphere alone.

It is obvious that the areav of the pistons may be varied considerably ac(':ording to the pressure which it' is desired to exert upon the caps prior to their final retention in place'by the atmospheric pressure.

I claim as my invention:

1. In jar sealing apparatus, the combinaity of independently movable prcssers for the-respective situated in comnion plane, and pistons operatively connected with the said pressci's, the pistons being of lar or area than their respective pressers, an having the said areas overlapping each other.

3; In jar sealingfapparatusthe combination' of a jar chamber, a 'plu'rality of independently movable pressers each having an operating pistpn of greater diameter than .t e center distance-between the pressers,

means for exhausting air from the chamber and from the pressure surfaces of the pistons, and means for.readmitting air to.one side of each piston.

4. In jar sealing apparatus, the combina tion of :1 ar chamber, a plur'ality'of indci chamber and from one side of the pistons,

and means for readmittinga'ir to one side of each piston. I v

5. ,In'lar s'eahng apparatus, the comblnation of-a jar chamber, a plurality of independen'tly movable pressers, a corresponding plurality of operating pistons for the pressers disposed in a. plurality of planes, each piston being of greater area than its presser, means for exhausting air from the chamber and from the pressure surfaces of the pistons, and means for readmitting air first to one side of each piston and then to the jar chamber and to the othersideof each piston.

6. In jar sealingapparatus, the combination of a jar chamber, a plurality of yieldingly supported pr an operating pistoli for each presser, of greater diameter than the center distanee between prcssers, means for exhausting air from the chamber and from both sides of' each piston. and means for readmitt'ing air to one side of each piston.

7. ln jar sealing; apparatus, the combination of a jar chamber, a series of resiliently supported prussers. a corresponding series of operating pistons for the pressers disposed in ditlerent planes with their respective areas overlappin". each piston being of greater area than its presser, means for exhaustimg air from the chamber and from both sides of each piston. and means for readmitting air to one side of each piston.

8. In jar sealing apparatus, the combination of a jar chamber. a series of independently movable jar pressers each having an operating piston of. greater diameter than the center distance between the pressers, means for yieldingly sustaining the presscrs, lm-ans t'or exhaustingifiir from the chamber and from both sides of each piston. and means for readmilting air to one. side of each' piston 9. ln jar sealing apparatus, the combinaor the.

areas of which overlap 'tion of a jar chamber, a plurality of indeing of greater area than-its presser, means 7 for yiel ingly sustaining the pressers, means for exhausting air from the chamber and piston.

10. In jar sealing apparatus, the combination of a jar chamber, a resser chamber, a wall between the two ciambers provided with a plurality of pistons, ftlie pressure each other, a corresponding plurality o pressers of smaller. area than the pistons and operably connected thereto, means for exhausting theair from' both chambeis, and from both sides of. the pistons, and means for .readmitting air to the presser chamber and to one side of ea'ch piston.

11. In jar sealing apparatus, the combinafor readmitting air -to one side of each from both sides of each piston, and mean f5 tion'of a jar chamber,- a presser chamber, a-

wall between the two chambers rovided with a plurality of pistons dispose in dit- .ferent planes, and having-their pressure areas overlapping each other, a corresponding plurality of pressers of smaller area than I the pistons and operably connected thereto,

air passages between the presser chain'ber and one side of each piston, air passages between the jar chamber and the other side of each piston, means for exhausting both chambers, and means for readmitting air to the presser chamber.

12. In jar sealing apparatus, the combination of a jar chamber, a dresser chamber, a wall between the two chambers provided with a plurality of resiliently-supported pistons disposed in diil'erent planes, and having their pressure areas overlapping each other, a corresponding plurality of pressers of smaller area than the pistons, and operably connected thereto, air passages between the presser chamber and one side of each pistom'air passages between the jar chamber and the other side of each piston, means for e..xlmustim, both chambers, and means for readmitting air to the presser chamber.

WILLL-kh'l ,A. LORENZ.

Witnesses:

NEH/1H PHOENIX, J ANE' re 5. lhaswon'ru. 

